‘Go meet with God and save me a seat’

Hundreds of people march down Barrington Street Sunday to a public memorial service for Raymond Taavel at St. Matthew's United Church. (RYAN TAPLIN / CP)

There was laughter and song at St. Matthew’s United Church in Halifax on Sunday as a community came together to remember and celebrate Raymond Taavel’s life.

The memorial began with a procession from Grand Parade to St. Matthew’s on the warm and sunny afternoon. The line of about 200 people spanned several blocks and took up one lane of Barrington Street.

Rainbow flags were out in full force and several faces were painted with the message No H8.

Indeed, “no hate” was the message from nearly everyone who spoke at the memorial service, reminding everyone of Taavel’s forgiving nature.

“I wanted to blame someone,” Halifax MP Megan Leslie said to those collected at the church.

“We could have said, ‘Raymond Taavel was murdered by a bad man,’ and we could condemn and we could move on.”

Taavel was found beaten outside of Menz & Mollyz bar on Gottingen Street in the early morning on April 17. Witnesses said he was attacked after trying to break up a fight.

Andre Denny, a schizophrenia patient with a history of violence, has been charged with second-degree murder in the death.

Denny had been out on an unescorted pass from the East Coast Forensic Hospital in Dartmouth. The pass was good for one hour, but Denny never returned.

“We have wrestled with so many questions,” Leslie said Sunday.

“Was it homophobia? Was it a failure of our mental health system? Was it a failure of our justice system? Was it our failure; failure of us as a community, as a society?”

There were no answers to these questions, but “we have grieved together, we have sought answers and we’ve been compassionate,” she said.

Tissues were handed across aisles in the church as friends of Taavel spoke. Some told stories about Taavel’s intensity and his insatiable passion, which drew laughter from the pews.

Between speakers, there were musical performances from the Women Next Door Choir, pianist Willem Blois and several others.

Barry Boyce, Taavel’s boss at Shambhala Sun, delivered a eulogy on behalf of Darren Lewis, who lived with Taavel for nine years.

“I’ve learned that people you love can be taken in an instant, but love cannot,” Boyce read. “I’ve learned that though you’ll never walk in again and say, ‘Honey, I’m home,’ you’ll always have a home with me.

“I’ve learned that missing you is the most painful thing I have ever felt. I’ve learned that when you love someone, you need to tell them as often as you can.

“Goodbye my Raymond. Go meet with God and save me a seat.”

Memorial contributions can be made to the Nova Scotia Rainbow Action Project, the Youth Project or Mobile Outreach Street Health.